1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to gripping devices, and more precisely to a small hand-held flexible and resilient grip structured for assisting in the manual pulling of an arrow from a target.
2. Description of Prior Art
Sometimes arrows are embedded into targets sufficiently so that it is extremely difficult to pull them out by hand. The primary problem is in getting a good grip on the arrow shaft without the hands slipping, and often not in providing sufficient pulling pressure. Pulling arrows is a particular problem with the increasingly popular three dimensional animal targets now being used. These life sized 3-Dimensional targets are made of a rigid urethane foam which are structured to appear like live animals such as deer, elk or small animals such as squirrels. The increased power produced by compound bows also embeds the arrows deeper into the target, making the arrows even more difficult to pull out.
Archers and hunters often use a frictionally adhesive piece of flat sheet material, such as synthetic rubber or plastic, to help provide a better grip over the arrow shaft. However, the surface area over the shaft is still very small for the hand to grasp and the person cannot get a good hold. Excessive gripping or squeezing strength is still therefore required to remove the arrow from the target.
Although there have been devices provided in the past for assisting in pulling arrows from targets such as the rubbery flat sheet material mentioned above, they are not structured similar to the present invention and none function as well. There do exist however, handles or grips which are pertinent to the present invention but are structured differently and intended for completely different purposes. These prior art devices are provided primarily as handles for carrying articles or as aids in manipulating tools of some sort. One such hand grip is provided as a turnbuckle wrench which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,023, issued to Greene, Jr. on Aug. 8, 1972. Greene's device discloses a small cylindrical slotted body having the interior of the groove structured to receive a turnbuckle link. The groove is defined by parallel side walls. The exterior of the cylinder is grasped by the user and rotated to tighten the turnbuckle. The interior of the groove of this prior art device is rigid in structure and designed for receiving a turnbuckle and would therefore not be sufficiently resilient to conform around and grasp the exterior surface of the arrow shaft.
Another device structured for supporting articles is provided in a U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,558, issued to Elliott on Jul. 6, 1948 for a service handle. Elliott's handle is structured of a small hollow cylindrical member, generally rigid or semi rigid in structure, which contains a longitudinal groove sized for passage over cord handles of shopping bags. This device serves to protect the person's hand from cutting or abrading by the cords.
A hand grip is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,955, granted to Mitchell on Jan. 15, 1963, for fitting over cord handles, bucket wire handles and any other narrow diameter handles which have proved difficult for the person to carry or hold. Mitchell's device includes a small hand held hollow tubular member having an elongated groove along one side opening into the hollow interior. The interior wall of the hand grip is structured of a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinal ribs alternating with parallel longitudinal grooves, which serve as a gripping surface for engagement with narrow handles. Since the interior diameter of the hand grip is comparatively large in comparison with the side opening, this device would also not be of great benefit for use in pulling arrows from targets.
Another gripping member is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,894, issued to Laus on Sep. 7, 1948 for a shopping bag handle. Laus' device is structured of an elongated member roughly egg shaped in cross-section, which is sized for holding in the palm of the hand. The narrower upper lengthwise edge of the handle contains a lengthwise groove which divides on the bottom end into two lengthwise grooves. Each lower divided groove is sized for insertion over the cord handles found on shopping bags. Laus's handle serves to distribute the load of the cord handles over a wider area, which is much more comfortable for the carrier. While it appears the lengthwise groove of the Laus device could conceivably be manually spread open sufficiently to receive the arrow shaft, this would require the use of two hands which is cumbersome and more time consuming.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an easily portable device for aiding archers in the removal of embedded arrows from a target.